On Tuesday evening, October 3, Gladstone Branch service again came to a halt; the cause was first specified only as "ongoing inspections near Summit, which need to be done during daylight hours," but later changed to "emergency repair work;" the cause appears to be once again crumbling retaining walls west of the Summit station, which knocked out the Gladstone Branch's single track for almost 24 hours starting on September 20. The walls in question likely were built when the Summit area tracks were lowered from street level to today's below-grade railroad; this work dates from the 1902-1905 era, and this particular piece of infrastructure seems literally to be "crumbling." A bus operation on October 3 began around 9 p.m. and got commuters home by taking them to trains at Murray Hill, but service remained suspended all day Wednesday. That afternoon, NJT announced that normal service would resume Thursday, and the Thursday rush hour appeared to be proceeding normally.

The troublesome retaining wall at Summit extends for half a mile or more along the south side of the 1905-vintage depression or "cut" in which the three NJT Morris & Essex Lines tracks run. The track closest to the wall serves the Gladstone Branch, which has been the only line affected by the problem so far. The wall is easily observed at the Summit station; it looks to be very old, with dark discolorations, cracked and missing concrete, and many patches where repairs have been done. Near the west end of the station platforms, at the top of the wall, is a large section of fresh concrete, likely the results of the recent repairs; but there are many places where concrete has fallen and not yet been repaired, some of which are six inches deep or more, and can extend for several feet horizontally. There is also evidence of crumbled pieces of concrete lying next to the track below. Repairs may be complicated by the many electrical power and communications cables that are affixed to the wall.

The earlier September 20-21 incident started when Gladstone trains were struck by, or struck, pieces of a disintegrating retaining wall just west of Summit station, forcing NJT to suspend train service on the Gladstone Branch around 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, pending emergency repairs. The collapsing wall became a literal symbol for what has been called the crumbling infrastructure of the region.

Gladstone Branch trains resumed running in the early afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 21, after nearly a full day suspension. Gladstone commuters had a difficult time getting home on Wednesday as NJT instituted a bus bridge from Summit to the first three stops on the branch, and shuttle trains from the bus at Murray Hill to the rest of the Gladstone Branch stops. Thursday morning found no trains running on the Gladstone, and no substitute bus service was announced, but passengers could use Lakeland Bus service, which cross-honored NJT tickets, or other NJT rail lines.

Commuters who managed to get to work somehow on Thursday enjoyed a normal return home, as NJT resumed normal service on the Gladstone Branch around noon. They could reasonably expect a normal ride in on Friday, Sept. 22, but that proved to be a false hope, as a "trespasser incident" around 6 a.m. at Newark Broad Street snarled the entire morning rush, with trains delayed up to two hours. This affected all three lines routed through Newark Broad: the Morris & Essex, Gladstone, and Montclair-Boonton. Trains started moving again around 8 a.m.; several trains were cancelled outright, and delays were sure to continue well into the morning.

Meeting Dates

The Coalition normally meets on the fourth Monday of the month at Millburn Town Hall, which is a short walk from the train station.
(Walking Directions)

If you are coming to a Coalition meeting for the first time, here are directions from the Millburn Train Station. If you are coming from New York or somewhere else east of Millburn, walk down the stairs in the building and through the tunnel under the tracks. If you are coming from west of Millburn, walk down the stairs in the middle of the platform. Cross Essex Street and walk on more block to Millburn Avenue. Turn right on Millburn Avenue and walk about three blocks to Town Hall, located at 375 Millburn Avenue. The side door, facing the parking lot, is normally open.